Shuttle mechanisms for sewing machines



Feb 1958 I M. F. lVANKO SHUTTLE MECHANISMS FOR SEWING MACHINES Filed Oct. 22, 1954 INVENTOR. Michael F. Ivan/(a BY W 9 ATTORNEY WITNESS Mag y United States Patent ce .SHUTTLE MECHANISMS FOR SEWINGMACHINES MichaeliFrancis Ivanko, Stralford, Conn., assignor to The Singer llflanufacturing Company, Elizabeth, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application October .22, 1954,:SerialNo.1463,91i6 8 "Claims. (Cl. 112-232) set forth -in=such detail-asto enablethose skilled in the art readily to understand thefunction, operation, construction and advantages of'it when read in conjunction with the .accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary longitudinal "vertical section view through the free end of the bed of a sewing machine embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary transverse vertical section view taken substantially on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 and illustrating only the bed mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the shuttle mechanism per se illustrated in Fig. 1, the retaining gib for the shuttle being removed.

Fig. 4 is an exploded perspective view of the two portions of the shuttle driver illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. is a detail section view taken substantially on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Sewing machines of the oscillating-shuttle type are old and well known and, accordingly, this disclosure will include only that portion of the sewing machine believed necessary to convey a full understanding of the present invention.

With reference to the drawings, the sewing machine in which the present invention has been incorporated includes a cylinder type bed 1 having a work-supporting surface 2 provided with a throat-plate 3 having a needle aperture 4 therein. The work is moved relative to the point of stitch formation by a clamp-feed mechanism including a conventional work-clamp 5 having a clamping foot 6 and a work-supporting plate 7. The stitching mechanism of the machine comprises a needle 8 that is adapted to be reciprocated in any conventional manner and to cooperate in the formation of stitches with a loop-taker 9 mounted in the bed 1.

Mounted in a depending boss 10 of the bed 1 is a shuttle support 11 that in turn has mounted therein a bushing 12 in which is journaled for oscillation the shuttle-shaft 13. Preferably, the shuttle-support 11 includes a replaceable bearing member 14 secured to the end thereof by screws 15, the member 14 having formed therein in the usual manner the bottom wall and inner side wall of an open-sided internal circular raceway 16 that is adapted to receive the loop-taker 9. For purposes of lubrication and to provide an inexpensive but satisfactory bearing, the member 14 is designed to be made of Textolite or other suitable plastic material. The outer wall of the raceway 2,822,773 Patented Feb 11 1.95.8

is formed by the usual shuttle=retaining gib "17 which is resiliently held against themember 14 by a pair'ofidentical springs '18 each of which encircles the smooth surfaced endportion ofa screw19-threaded into the bearing member 31 4. Each'spr'ing 18 is compressed between the head=of the =screw 1f9 anda shoulder -20'formed by'counterboring the aperture in -the 'gib *1-7-through which the .screw 19 passes.

Fh'e loop-taker 9, =wliich is' a conventional oscillating shuttle, is -provided-=with a bearing rib '21 that is adapted to be 'journaled' in-the -raceway16. A'stationary bobbin- 'case'22 is received within the shuttle '9 and to hold the same "against -oscill-ation with the shuttle there 'is provided an arm 23 that is received --within-=anotch '24 formed'in the rotationrestrainingmeniber 2'5-that-is secured to'the g'ib 1 7 by "screws 26:

"The shut-tlefif i'ver comprises "a shuttle-driving crank element 27- fi-xed to the "end of the shaft 13 and a 'head or shuttle-engaging portibn 28. The crank element 27 includes a hub-"29-'secure'd to *the s'ha'ft 13 as "bya 'screw 30, a lateral crank arm 31 extending radially ofthe hub and a'dr'ivingfin'ger' "3'2 'carrie'dat the end of "the arm 31 and :arranged parallel --tothe shaft '13. The finger '32 is curved transversely about the axis of the shaft 13 and the -sideedges "33 thereof "are' for'med" radially of the 'axis of the shaft"-13, whereby they diverge away from said axis, ThehieadQS-bf'the'shuttle driver, "as seen in the drawings, is "made to conform or" in other words is com- 30 jplementa-lto the raceway 1.6:andis providedwith 'a notch section 'o'fthe 'finger 32 and is"dimensionedsnugly to re- 34that is fo'rmed tlie same :in-configuration'as the crossceive the same. The ends of the head 28 are formed to abut against the heel and the throat of the shuttle 9, and thereby, upon oscillation of the shaft 13, the motion will be transmitted through the crank 27 and the head 28 to the shuttle 9, whereby it will be oscillated in the usual manner.

One of the improvements embodied in the present invention is the formation of the head of the shuttle driver to the curvature of the raceway. Thus, the head of the shuttle driver rides in the shuttle raceway and is thereby supported about its periphery which reduces the strain incident to high speed operation when the inertia forces tend to straighten out the head. In other words, the flexing of the head of the shuttle driver during operation has been substantially eliminated, which flexing would become quite serious when the driver head is formed from a plastic material such as nylon which is used in the preferred embodiment of the invention. The other advantages derived by the present invention is the elimination of metal-to-metal contact between the head of the shuttledriver and the shuttle, and the ease with which the head of the shuttle driver can be readily removed or repaired.

Having thus set forth the nature of the invention What I claim herein is:

1. Shuttle mechanism for a sewing machine comprising a shuttle support having a circular raceway, an oscillating shuttle having a bearing rib complemental to said raceway and journaled for oscillation in said raceway, means for imparting oscillation to said shuttle comprising a shuttle driver including a head having an outer surface which at a point upon each side of the center of oscillation thereof is complemental to said raceway and journaled in said raceway for oscillation, said shuttle driver being adapted to contact said shuttle upon opposite sides of the center of oscillation thereof whereby upon oscillation of said shuttle driver oscillation will be imparted to the shuttle, and means for oscillating said shuttle driver.

2. A shuttle mechanism in accordance with claim 1 port and closing the open side of said raceway, an oscillating shuttle having a bearing rib complemental to said raceway and journaled for oscillation in said raceway, means for imparting oscillation to said shuttle comprising a shuttle driver having an actuating element and a head,

said head being adapted to contact said shuttle at points upon opposite sides of the center of oscillation thereof whereby upon oscillation of said shuttle driveroscillation will be imparted to the shuttle, said actuating element being journaled for oscillation about an axis aligned with the center of oscillation of said shuttle and having a radially extending crank arm, the free end of said crank arm being keyed to said head for imparting oscillation to said head upon oscillation of said actuating element and for axial displacement of said head relative to said crank arm whereby when said gib is removed said head may be readily removed and replaced.

5. A shuttle mechanism in accordance with claim 4 in which the head of said shuttle driver is of a plastic material.

6. A shuttle mechanism in accordance with claim 4 in which the head of said shuttle driver is of nylon.

7. Shuttle mechanism for a sewing machine comprising a shuttle support, an open-sided raceway formed in said support and a removable gib secured to said shuttle support and closing the open side of said raceway, an oscillating shuttle having a bearing rib complemental to said raceway and journaled for oscillation in said raceway, means for imparting oscillation to said shuttle comprising a shuttle driver having an actuating element and a head, said head having an outer surface with the major portion thereof complemental to said raceway and jonrnaled in said raceway and said head being formed to contact said shuttle at points upon opposite sides of the center of oscillation thereof whereby upon oscillation of said shuttle driver oscillation will be imparted to said shuttle, said actuating element being journaled for oscillation about an axis aligned with the center of oscillation of said shuttle and having a radially extending crank arm, the free end of said crank arm being keyed to said head for imparting oscillation to said head upon oscillation of said actuating element and for axial displacement of said head relative to said crank arm whereby when said gib is removed said head may be readily removed and replaced.

8. Shuttle mechanism in'accor'dance with claim 7 in which the head of said shuttle driver is of nylon.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 388,324 Vannett Aug. 21, 1888 1,724,964 Reed Aug. 20, 1929 1,877,757 Hemleb Sept. 20, 1932 2,673,541 Biesemeyer Mar. 30, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 573,254 Germany Mar. 29, 1933 OTHER REFERENCES Page 229, Product Engineering, published November 1950, on file in Division 12. 

